a black friday walk in the woods

Yesterday, Kate and I decided to go for a walk.  How can you ever feel lonely in nature?  As soon as I topped butterfly hill looking down at the creek I noticed all of the activity going on.  Little wrens and winter birds fluttering everywhere.

I am not a fan of winter.  I have to approach it very carefully because I let it get the best of me sometimes.  I have to pick out the things that I like about it.  I like finding nests in trees and shrubs where winged families were raised over the summer.  I like wearing a coat at the beginning of our walk and halfway through removing it because I am burning up from trekking up and down hills.  I like taking a seat on the ground or a tree stump and just listening and looking at what's going on right outside my door.  I like being able to spot deer through the trees running from my presence in their world.

I also like to string white Christmas lights throughout my home for illumination because it gets dark so early.  I do leave them up past the holidays.  But what really gets me through the winter is knowing spring is right behind it.  And soon I will be mushroom hunting and spotting new blooms with every step of my world here.  It is a wonderful place.

Oh how the swimming hole changed from the last hurricane rain.  Maybe it will hold more water next summer!

The red bud pods look like fringe on this one.  How pretty!!

I was truly only gone about an hour and when I got back... Kitty had paid her rent.

Around Here

Yesterday was Sunday.  I went for a walk through the woods.  Even though it was bitterly cold.  I was sweating coming up Butterfly Hill.  It's funny how a short walk to see what's going on in the woods can be just what I need.  I even found mushrooms growing.  Most of the creek was frozen on top.  The sound the water makes bubbling through under the ice is relaxing.  One more day towards Spring is the way I look at it.  I know what's hiding under the leaves and snow.  It's still amazing... just like this.....

around here

Well friends, it appears as though I have traded one hobby for another.  That being making miniatures for my dollhouse project for blogging.  Oh and let's not forget picture taking.  I hardly even do any of that right now... even of the project at hand.  I just get so excited about my tiny creations that I plum forget about documenting anything to share with my friends online.  Now my friends in person... no problem.  I seem to mention my dollhouse and pictures on my phone to everyone I see.  I am probably going to have to find a miniaturist support group... maybe we will make things together!  (I just got a really wild look in my eyes) 

Around here... within two Saturdays we went from twelve inches of snow to seventy degrees and no more snow.  That's Tennessee for you.  But the snow allowed me to cover a front wall with skinny sticks in the living room of my dollhouse and also start on the hardwood floor in the kitchen.  And also wallpaper the house.  All the while I was watching movies from the library.  One in particular I have watched at least five times since.  I still haven't taken it back! This past weekend was productive in a different sort of way.  I had to pay attention to the big house... the one we live in that needed floors cleaned from all the snow and mud and laundry caught up. 

I've also picked up a new favorite food... homemade pimento cheese.  My friend Rhonda made some when we were all sharing a four wheeling cabin over the Christmas holidays.  I have never liked pimento cheese to my knowledge but tried it anyway because everyone was chowing down on it.  I loved it!  It is so easy to make and an easy go to for lunch or a snack.  I have made it twice now.  The first time it was too runny and the second time too thick.  The third time will be a charm!  I am going to take some four wheeling with us this weekend.  Shaun is even hooked on the stuff.  It is simply shredded cheddar, mayo, a jar of pimentos, a dash of sugar and a dash or more of cayenne pepper.  Sooooo good!

We also invented a new snack at the day care.  A saltine cracker spread with peanut butter with a slice of banana on top.  Add a spec of sprinkles and you have happy smiling kids!  They aren't bad at all.

It may not look like much to some but you can't even see where the driveway is!

 

I finished the whole front wall but apparently didn't take a picture.

 YUM

 

 Little books I actually just made this morning.

 

The Oasis doesn't look near as inviting during the winter but I love this picture.

Here are two dollhouse pictures of stuff I made but only got a picture on my flip phone.

 

My little cactuses and aloe vera.. and little Katie Bug photo bombing.

And this chair was actually a lot of fun to make although I was terrified to do it until I got started on it.  Sometimes I get a point where directions are too much info for me so I go my own route and it works out.  It is all sewn together, sides, bottom and back.  Who has time to wait for glue to dry when I can whip stitch?!?!  I already have the wood cut out to make another one.  Oh and you can see the floor in this pic too.  I am having so much fun with this.  I haven't a clue what the outside will look like yet.  I am taking it one step at a time and doing it however I want.  Oh I also made the tiniest little lamp (nonworking) out of beads.  Shaun was pretty impressed.  



Around Here

Around here... winter has been showing up quite frequently.  Hopefully this will be the last of the snow pictures to share until next winter!  I am ready for spring although I haven't started any seeds yet, which I cannot believe.  I am usually tipsy with crazy right now sprouting plants left and right.  It will come.  Last Thursday I had no kids at the day care because of snow and on Saturday it was fifty seven degrees.  Crazy Tennessee weather.  Shaun took me for a ride Thursday through the woods to check out the snow down there and it was beautiful.  Today I thought I heard thunder under a clear sky when it was only four inches of snow sliding off the back roof.  Please enjoy my shots.

Inside

 I CANNOT keep these floors clean with weather like this!  UGH

 Tommy could care less either way.

 Granola bars for my sweets for the week.

We got around five inches over night with this snow.  Most we've seen in some time.

The fire pit at the camp in the fork of the creek.

And then, Friday morning as I was looking out the back door, I spied a doe laying down right inside the tree line behind our house and back yard.  At first I didn't see the others until Shaun pointed them out.  Even on a bed of white the deer can be hard to see.  They were spread out through the back hollar only one of them standing and stretching off the night.